[Pan-users] Feature request: CLI operation

[Ron Johnson]

Hi,

The GUI interface is great, but not so optimized for downloading the 
headers of big groups.

So, I request a separate program pan-get-headers (which is part of the 
pan2 source tree and thus gets built when you run "make") that uses the 
already-existing pan nntp functions.

It would work something like:
$ pan-get-headers --group=alt.really.big --all
$ pan-get-headers --group=alt.really.big --new
$ pan-get-headers --group=alt.really.big --days=nn
$ pan-get-headers --group=alt.really.big --latest=nn

This would all one to do something like:
$ for i in `seq 30 30 990`; do \
>    pan-get-headers --group=alt.really.big --days=${i}; \
> done

It could also have a progress meter option to display percentage complete.

Yes, it would have limited functionality for established users who 
already have their group headers for a stable set of groups, but is 
invaluable for new users and even for "established users" subscribing to 
a large group.

Actually, it might also be useful for established users.  They could 
create a cron job to run once a day (while at work, for example) so as 
to minimize the number of new headers fetched when in the GUI and 
entering a group.

Sincerely,
Ron

--
"Neither the wisest constitution nor the wisest laws will secure
the liberty and happiness of a people whose manners are universally
corrupt."
Samuel Adams, essay in The Public Advertiser, 1749